Rajapaksa leaves for Maldives amid political crisis

Colombo, Feb 11: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Maldives this morning on a three-day official visit leaving a looming political crisis at home following his move to sack three top ministers from his jumbo cabinet.

The President, leading a top ministerial delegation, left for Maldives early this morning. His visit begins with a meeting with his Maldivian counterpart Maumoon Abdul Gayoom today, a presidential official said.

The ministerial delegation accompanying the President includes newly-appointed Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama, Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda and Investment Promotion Minister G L Peiris.

President Rajapaksa sacked three top ministers, including his former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike and junior Minister of Ports Development on Friday in a controversial move.

The out of favour Mr Samaraweera, who was out of the country at the time of his sacking, is scheduled to arrive in the country later today.

The executive committee of the the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the dominant party of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), met last evening to discuss the issue and unanimously approved the removal of the three ministers, Minister of Justice Dilan Perera said.

According to the Justice Minister, President Rajapaksa at the executive committee meeting had given details of an alleged plot by the three ministers to topple the Rajapaksa government.

Mr Bandaranaike, the only brother of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, last week in a special address in the Sri Lankan Parliament claimed he had received a telephone death threat allegedly from a section in the government.

Meanwhile, the government purpotedly has withdrawn the elite security back-up of the sacked ministers.

Only two policemen have been provided for their security, the reports said.

UNI